You may be surprised.
The birds are getting ready for spring!
Funny Sally!!
I wish I had been able to see what creature bent a very solid bird feeder pole a few years ago. It had to have been a deer or a bear; I suspect the latter.
Saw a brown thrasher visit my deck twice today. First time ever. My 10 yr old grandy told me what it was. He asked me if I knew how he knew it. He said it was from The Wild Kratts show on TV. He LOVES animals and this is a fun show centering on animals. It was on the deck at the same time as two tufted titmice.
I'm impressed with that grandy of yours!
I've never seen a brown thrasher, but now I know what they look like in case I do.
that's great Jan, that the show is so good, and that you saw the thrasher
Love the thrashers. They like the suet cake too, when they're feeling bold. I've had a lot of red towhee action lately. Of course, with the feast and famine lately there's not as much of a solid group out there, but I'm currently looking forward to the catbirds, the cedar waxwings, and the mockingbirds going crazy for our fruiting trees, particularly the mulberry.
Love the Kratt brothers, especially their previous show, Zaboomafoo! Record episodes of that one if/when they air -- it's great. :-)
I just picked up a Melissa & Doug set of binoculars shaped like a butterfly. They had "boy" ones also, maybe a pterydactyl? I haven't taken them out of the package yet but will let you know if they're any good. The ones that came with our NWF Ranger Rick Jr. subscription a couple years ago were a joke -- not just "toy" binoculars, more like "pretend" binoculars that worked not at all.
Loved Zaboomafoo, too!! Will need to look for those binocs. Just remembered one of my grandies has a birthday in five days. Had it in my head it was in May, but then realized it is just a day after my dad's was.
She "won" the binoculars tonight as a reward for doing well in swim class. One more set of lessons before summer! :-) I got a quick peek through them, and they aren't bad... about what you'd expect for $5. Not precision opticals, and the field of view is pretty small, but they have some distance magnification... just right for a kid who isn't used to using adult binoculars yet. I think the central focus knob works a bit, but they are nearly single-focus. They also easily adjust for faces of various size. :-) http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Sunny-Butterfly-Binoculars/dp/B00270FD6C
Cool!
early pre dawn last week as I turned around in the parking area adjacent to the eagle nest I saw both adults perched next to each other on one of the huge branches supporting the nest....silhouetted by the half moon. Pretty sure sign there is at least one eaglet!
As kids, we had WWII Army issue telescope and binoculars from an uncle who served. Even though all metal, they were light weight enough and small enough for us kids to use to 'spot' things moving in the skies, fields and forest. They certainly were indestructable! Now the grandsons of the one brother who had boys are enjoying them. I likeed and still prefer their size as eather would fir in a pocket (along with compass and boy scout pocket knife!!!) as opposed to hanging around the neck. Both of my DGS s have a pair next to their seats in the car and will ask mom or dad to pull over if they spot something!
Recently, they pulled over to watch some deer in a field. When I asked my youngest about seeing deer, he told me that they didn't see deer but they did watch white tailed deer!!
Wild Krats rule!
My grands love Wild Krats, too.
So great that your Grandy knew what the Brown Thrasher was. I remember seeing one at our house years and years ago taking a dust bath in the dirt lane. Only time I have seen one in our area. I was so excited on Monday, I saw a small raptor of some kind, not sure hawk, kestrel, falcon. It wasn't very big, was all dark wings and back with a tan speckled front and light face with stripping. At first I thought it was a swallow of some kind looked all dark with the tan front then when I got close I knew it was a bird of prey. On the way back it was on the other side of the road and I saw it's back there were reddish markings on both shoulders. I looked it up when I got back home and their is a red shoulder hawk but I couldn't quite match it to any of the birds in my bird book.
I should have some interesting bird pics from Fl saw quite a few Sandhill Cranes yesterday.
Cool, enjoy!!
Love that the grandies ask to pull over so they can investigate more.
That's nice of the eagles to give the young'un the nest! I wonder whether they're afraid they'll crush it?
Holly, there is so much variation in red shouldered hawks; maybe it was a juvenile.
This link that coleup found a while back might help you: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/id
Those WWII binoculars sound great; I'd like to find some like that would fit in a pocket while I"m gardening.
No they don't look right. I came right home and looked up all the Raptors in my bird book but none of them them looked quite right. I'm terrible at IDing birds.
It would be a heck of a lot easier if the birds would come closer and sit still ; - )
Yes it sure whould, this one was perched on a post in the field not far from the road so I thought that I got a real good look at it but whatever it was it was a joy to see.
So we are now getting a good look at a few birds we don't see in our area. Shortly after crossing into Fl. we came across the Sandhill Cranes, as we drove down the road we would see pairs of them every so often, I made Ric turn around so I could get a pic.
Then we went to visit the Stork Rookery that is close to Ric's father's house. Ric and I stumbled across this Rookery one afternoon several years ago and we stopped today so we could see how it was doing. If you look closely at the nests you can just see a few fuzzy heads sticking up.
Mostly Storks but there are a few egrets and dark birds (maybe comorants) there, too.
A few more from the rookery and a Red Wing Black Bird from a walk later in the day.
How fun! Is the rookery in a bird sanctuary? It's surprising to me that they choose to nest so close together. It sure makes it easier for them to step out to get a bite to eat! I can't see the babies, but I can tell that some are tending to them.
Your 5th photo is really wonderful by the way.
There are 4 bluebird eggs in one of my birdhouses; I opened it to see whether a cowbird had added one. It'll be so exciting to see the babies.
No the rookery isn't in a bird sanctuary, it is fenced in with 8ft chain link fence but I think that had more to do with the water than the fact that the birds have set up a rookery. We see them from Poppy's porch from time to time flying over.
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/08/Pasco/An_unlikely__nesting_.shtml
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkyyC0e0Mnc
Those black birds are anhinga I knew cormorants wasn't right but couldn't come up with the right name.
Holly--
That is so weird, having storks nesting on the ground.
I thought they preferred chimneys--but...that is in the "old Country".
Not too many places here have these tall chimneys as in Europe.
G.
Holly, wonderful photos!
Gita, these are wood storks, different species... I was always fascinated by the idea of those big european storks nesting on chimneys or on rooftop wagonwheel platforms! These are nesting in the treetops, not on the ground. There was a similar rookery near where I taught on Jekyll Island GA, along the causeway right across from the state highway patrol station!
Great memory (from family FL trip in '76) of seeing sandhill cranes doing their mating dance... leaping up athletically yet a little awkwardly, like football players at a jr. prom.
First time I saw Sandhill Cranes was down here and I had to look them up, didn't know what they were.
LOL, bet the car came to a screeching halt before it turned around, Holly! They are such cool birds. And BIG!
It was pretty neat, down the road every couple hundred feet or so there was another pair. Just in that area haven't seen any since.
That was an interesting article! I never would have thought that alligators help increase the bird population, but it makes perfect sense.
Alligators are so fast! Down where my parents live in South Carolina, people sometimes let their dogs go down to the edge of ponds, and they become gator food. They don't see the gators, but the gators see them.
Speaking of gators, this Sunday they are putting the alligators back into the "bayou" at Catoctin Zoo. Zoo Crew will start moving them out around 1 pm. According to the email they sent out, they "will even have a small gator available for a quick "snap" shot." har dee har har
The robins have refurbished and reclaimed their nest on our front porch. They've been using the same one for 5 years now... ever since they managed to build a really sturdy one with extra clay reinforcement. Our carolina wrens use it during the winter for night-time shelter. It looks like heck, but I don't have the heart to take it down. Last summer, something happened to the baby robins -- crow, maybe? -- and I wondered if they'd be back this spring.
One or another robin seems to be in the nest 24/7, although i'd have thought it was a little soon for eggs... guess we'll see!
I think Joyanna would love to hold the gator, don't you?
I didn't think birds reused nests; I've been taking them down at the end of the summer.
Catbirds built a nest in a shrub by our door for several years in a row, but so far there's no nest in the usual spot. I really cut that shrub back; they probably think I ruined a perfectly fine shrub!
I don't think nests are usually quite so structurally sound -- at least not robins' nests! It's the first nest the birds have gotten to "stick" solidly in this really very small nook -- tiny bit of ledge at the top of one of the columns on the front porch. I'll take a photo tomorrow or find an old photo... mama robin is really crammed into her spot... if she faces outward, she has to hold her tail straight up against the column!
I saw a juvenile black snake the other day sunning in my front bed by the
big, old Junipers. It was pretty long--so maybe from last year's brood.
It was brownish with some lighter stripes all down its body.
IF it has decided to hang around the two Junipers--many birds use these
shrubs for shelter--or even nesting.
Since black snakes are excellent climbers--it may get many a meal in these shrubs.
THEN--I hope it migrated to my YUK bed area, behind which is my back-yard-neighbor's
big garage--under which, I believe, the rabbit "lives" and makes babies.
So do snakes.....
Last summer--I saw only ONE baby--and followed its changing size as I watered
my beds--and it would be hiding there--and then dart out.
This spring--I have seen ONE adult rabbit... must be the same one.
G.
Maybe a juvenile Eastern rat snake?
http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/concern/snake-of-concern.htm
The sandhill cranes actually stopped traffic on the way over to Daytona Beach. We started down this 4 lane road and a pair of sandhill cranes were just taking their good old time crossing the road. Both Ric and the driver in the next lane had to come to a complete stop till they got to the center strip. There was no on coming traffic so I expect they made it across those lanes without mishap as well but they didn't seem in any hurry to finish the crossing.
That's funny! Did you take some photos?
Muddy--
I believe "Rat Snake" is just another name for Black Snake--aka--Milk snake"
NO! The one i saw was definitely striped the length of the snake.
I have seen a juvenile black snake once before--and it was brown....
I have also tracked behind a black snake in my garden for an hour--
taking pictures....Only one I have seen.
But--I have seen young snakes twicw now--not sure what they are after
Googling them just now.
This was in 2006.
It ended up that there were two of them--having a rendezvous.
In the 1st picture--I got too close to it and it did not like it--coiled up on me...
I was following this snake around for about an hour. Then--when THEY crawled
under my concrete front steps--I was freaking out--imagining a lot of snakes born there...
And--thinking they may find some way into my house through the cinder block foundation.
Brave--wasn;t I? g.
LOL Gita, I remember those snake pics always fun to see again.
Today Ric and I went exploring, we went to several State parks and wildlife refuge. Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge was very nice we did about a 3 mile walk around the part of the pond area and down one side of the lake. All pics courtesy of Ric he got some really great shots. Snowy Egrets (white with yellow feet), White Ibis juvenile (white with brown markings) curved bill, Glossy Ibis (looks black at distance) with curved bill. Great Blue Heron
I didn't get a pic of the Sandhill Cranes walking across the highway when we had to stop for them but did get a pic today of another pair on a much smaller road just meandering along the road edge. American Coot and a couple of pretty butterfly pics from the Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
Awesome photos, Ric!
That swamp looks so lush and green; lucky birds. Those Sandhill Cranes are a hoot!
Late this afternoon Pat and I were looking out the dining room window and were surprised to see a hummingbird very methodically working the bleeding hearts in the nearby garden. Watched for a couple of minutes before it flew away. Never thought of bleeding hearts as a "hummingbird plant".
Wow, it feels really early in the season for hummingbirds. I'm glad I'm getting more bleeding hearts this year. :) My native honeysuckle is about to bloom, so at least the hummingbirds will have that to hold them over until the monarda blooms. :)